Alleged Tinder 'catfish' used fake profile to meet woman before indecently assaulting her

CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to an alleged indecent assault.

It is alleged a construction worker catfished a woman by using a fake dating application profile to meet up with her, then sexually abused her when she saw him in person.

Robelt Harthur Hilarion Urdanivia, a 28-year-old Peruvian man in Australia for temporary work, has been handed a charge of committing an act of indecency without consent over the allegations.

He had an account on Tinder with a fake name as well as “images of an unknown male obtained from the internet that were not consistent with the defendant’s physical appearance”, police allege in court documents.

Police said the photos on the account showed a “Caucasian male with tanned skin and an athletic build”, they describe Mr Hilarion Urdanivia as having “a chubby build” and “darker skin”.

He allegedly started talking to a woman over the app earlier this year. When she expressed her suspicions that his profile may be misleading, he sent her screenshots from another dating service profile to convince her they were accurate.

They allegedly planned to meet up for sex at Mr Hilarion Urdanivia’s home in Pearce late one night in February 2024.

When the woman arrived, he allegedly texted to tell her to quietly sneak into the house through a side door while keeping the lights turned off. He also reportedly told her he would quickly close the door behind her.

It is alleged he greeted the woman while partially obscured by the door and was wearing a hooded jumper that hid the top half of his face.

She allegedly saw Mr Hilarion Urdanivia did not look like the person from the Tinder account’s photos and told him she had to go back to her car, but he grabbed her arms and began to direct her towards a bed while telling her “no”.

He allegedly repeatedly indecently assaulted her before she was able to use her elbow to push him away and fled.

The woman went straight to police.

When officers spoke to Mr Hilarion Urdanivia on Sunday (11 February), he admitted giving misleading information to the woman in an attempt to have sex with her. He admitted to one, but not all, of the indecent assault allegations.

Mr Hilarion Urdanivia applied for bail in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday (12 February), which was opposed by the prosecution, during which he was assisted by a Spanish interpreter.

His defence lawyer argued he had no criminal history in Australia, worked five to six days a week in construction and sent money to his mother in Peru, which she depended on.

However, Magistrate Glenn Theakston said Mr Hilarion Urdanivia had already admitted to some of the alleged conduct. He had also admitted to using the same “method” previously and had been banned from using Tinder in Peru, which the magistrate assumed was a consequence of his behaviour.

“The deliberate and deceptive nature of this [alleged] offending causes me concerns,” Magistrate Theakston said.

Bail was refused, and he was remanded in custody to face court on 4 March. No plea was entered.

‘Catfishing’ refers to using a fake online profile to mislead someone.

If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 02 6280 0900, and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.